Bacteria, yeast a diner's delight at Denmark's Noma

While ant paste, milk curd and berry preserves make up the "Blueberries and ant" dish at Denmark's restaurant Noma, bacteria and yeast will soon be next for diners at the eatery which has been crowned world's best restaurant for three years.

Located on the ground floor of a renovated listed 18th Century warehouse in the old Christianshavn canal district of Copenhagen, Noma is run by 34-year-old chef Rene Redzepi.

"It changes the chemical composition of food," Redzepi told Reuters of his experiments with bacteria and yeast in the test kitchen. "After many months you get a magic process."

Redzepi is setting up a team of chefs and academics to run the project and is currently working to perfect a dish of grilled leek which has been marinated for 24 hours in fermented yellow split peas, a dark, thick aromatic paste resembling intense soy or bean sauce.